This invention relates to a clip applier for use in brain surgery, etc.
To prevent rupture of an aneurysm in the brain, for example, an operative treatment is performed in which a neck of the aneurysm is ligated with a clip to block the communication between the aneurysm and the blood vessel.
A clip used in the operation integrally includes a hinge portion, a pair of clip portions and a pair of connecting portions respectively connecting opposite ends of the hinge portion to the pair of clip portions. The connecting portions intersect with each other. The pair of clip portions are biased to be closed by an elastic force of the hinge portion.
In the operation, a cranium is widely opened and the clip is applied to an affected area, e.g. the neck of the aneurysm, using a tweezers-like instrument while the affected area is being observed with a microscope. As shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H7-41447, the instrument includes receiving recesses at distal end portions of a pair of grip portions. The clip is held by the instrument with the pair of connecting portions of the clip received in the receiving recesses and the pair of clip portions of the clip protruding from distal ends of the tweezers-like instrument. The clip portions of the clip are opened by pressing the pair of the connecting portions against the elastic force of the hinge portion. With the affected area placed between the clip portions, the pressing force is released, thereby ligating the affected area with the pair of clip portions.
However, in the above mentioned operation, it is required to widely open the cranium, which tends to cause a heavy burden on a patient.